


The Seal Lullaby

by CityEscape4



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Tomoshipping if you squint, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:38:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityEscape4/pseuds/CityEscape4
Summary: When the nightmares attack her, it’s usually Durbe that comforts young Iris until she falls back to sleep. But when he’s out leading Nasch’s men on a late night scouting mission one night, it’s Nasch who has to try and comfort her.





	The Seal Lullaby

It had seemed like forever since Merag’s death, since the war that broke out between the kingdoms of R'lyeh and the United Lands of Poseidon. At some point, Nasch and Durbe, and all of Nasch’s warriors had come across a city that had been ravaged by Vector, leaving everyone in his wake dead.

Or so he thought.

It was Nasch who had heard her first, a young girl named Iris, who had witnessed things a child her age shouldn’t have even dared to think were possible. Her family, the villagers around her… gone.

And while her survival was a feat in itself, it was her resemblance to Merag that truly amazed everyone, Nasch especially. So the young king took her in, taking her away from her now bloodfilled land into their group. It had taken her a little while, but Iris soon warmed up to Nasch and Durbe, the child sharing a horse with one of them when they were on the move, and sleeping in a tent between the two of theirs when they rested.

But it was soon evident that the young girl was plagued by the horrors she had seen, when she’d wake up screaming and crying, alerting most of Nasch’s army, as well as Durbe and Nasch himself. The first time it had happened, everyone had done what they could to calm her down, but with so many people, she felt crowded and only felt worse. After everyone backed off a bit, most of Nasch’s warriors pushed Durbe forward, knowing that he dealt well with children.

So Durbe held her close, and comforted her, using a soft tone that he’d only used for Nasch and Merag maybe once or twice, probably with Mach as well. As Iris had calmed down, the soldiers began departing bit by bit, until all that had been left were Nasch, Durbe, and Iris. Nasch had stayed until the young girl had eased back into sleep, her grip on Durbe slackening, but never truly letting go. Both males looked hesitant to leave her again, knowing the memories of seeing far too much blood and death would haunt her, possibly for the rest of her life. So Durbe stayed with her that night, Nasch eventually heading back to his tent, though keeping alert, in case something further happened.

And such was the norm whenever Iris woke up terrified. Durbe would comfort her, and Nasch would be there for a little while, just to check on them both, if he wasn’t busy going over war stratagems with his men.

There was one night though, where Durbe had left on Mach, taking several of Nasch’s men to scout out the area ahead for a few hours, and therefore wasn’t there when Iris woke up crying once more.

Nasch was quick to leave his tent and go to her, doing his best to comfort her.

After her cries had died down in volume a bit, Iris looked up at Nasch, the tears still streaming from her eyes. "Wh-Where’s Sir Durbe?” Iris asked with a hiccup.

“He’s out right now,” Nasch admitted, his tone gentle as he ran his fingers through Iris’s hair in an attempt to comfort her. “He left some time ago, and I’m not sure when he’ll be back.” He gave the young child an apologetic look, not really knowing what to do. He wasn’t Durbe. He didn’t know how to comfort her as well as the knight did.

“I s-saw them again.” Iris said through sniffles, crawling into Nasch’s lap and burying her face in his chest. “My m-mommy and d-daddy. And the man with the orange hair… Mommy hid me, and Daddy tried to protect us, but the man got them both and…” She couldn’t finish, beginning to cry all over again.

Nasch scowled, knowing she was talking about Vector. That damned bastard… how much bloodshed would he need before he was satisfied? Nasch’s hold on Iris tightened protectively, as though his grip alone would expel all those horrible memories.

“What if he gets me too?” Came Iris’s voice, it cracking slightly.

Nasch shook his head. “I won’t let him. I promise.”

Iris looked up at him, her cheek stain with the trail of her tears, he eyes bright and wide and fearful. “You promise?” She asked, a hint of amazement in her voice.

“I promise.”

Iris sniffled again, nuzzling her face into Nasch’s chest, the king feeling how wet it was now from her tears. He couldn’t help but wonder how Durbe managed to do this nearly every night.

“Thank you, Ou-sama.” Iris murmured, curling up against Nasch.

A sad smile came to the blue-eyed male, his hand going back to Iris’s head, gently running his fingers through her hair. Ever since they found her, Nasch and Durbe had tried getting her to call them by their names, but to no avail. The young girl just seemed insistent on calling him and Durbe by their titles, even when no one else was around.

All he got in response was a shake of Iris’s head, the young girl soon relaxing completely in his hold.

“Do you need anything?” Nasch asked softly. “A cup of water, maybe?”

When he wasn’t met with a response, Nasch frowned slightly. Had she fallen asleep already? He moved his head a bit, trying to get a better look at Iris, his frown only growing when he saw her eyes were still open. He was about to ask again, - maybe she hadn’t heard him the first time? - when he saw that she looked like she was thinking over something.

“Ou-sama?”

“Yes?”

Again, a few seconds of silence. “… Can you sing?” Nasch blinked at the question, looking almost hesitant to answer. But Iris spoke up before he could. “Sometimes, Sir Durbe sings me a lullaby cuz I get scared to go back to sleep. But… when he sings me to sleep I feel safe, like nothing can hurt me.”

Nasch opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it, not really knowing exactly what to say? And since when could Durbe sing? He hadn’t known this about the knight. “… What does he sing to you?”

“I don’t know.” Iris admitted. “I never heard it before. He said it was a lullaby from his kingdom.”

Well that didn’t help. “I… I know of one from mine.” Nasch admitted. “It was something my mother would sing to me and my sister when one of us either fell ill or had a nightmare.”

Iris’s eyes widened slightly. It wasn’t often at all she would hear Nasch speak of his sister. Durbe had mentioned his sister once or twice to her, but it was obvious to Iris the knight would get sad thinking about her. It didn’t take much to figure she had died too. “Can you sing it, Ou-sama?”

“I can try.” Nasch said, biting his lower lip slightly as he recalled the lyrics.

It was then Durbe arrived back with Nasch’s troops, having scouted the area ahead. It had looked like they were closer than ever before to Vector, and he wanted to report this to Nasch right away. But when he landed, and couldn’t find the king, he asked where he was, only to rush to Iris’s tent when he heard she’d had another nightmare.

He was about to enter, when he heard Nasch... singing?

> _“Oh, hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,_  
>  _And black are the waters that sparkled so green._  
>  _The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us_  
>  _At rest in the hollows that rustle between._
> 
> _Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;_  
>  _Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease._  
>  _The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,_  
>  _Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas…”_

Nasch looked down at Iris, who’s eyes were just about shut, a relaxed look on her face, and finished. _“…Asleep in the arms… of the slow-swinging seas…”_ He then began to hum the rest, having forgotten the words, but couldn’t help but feel a small sense of pride and accomplishment upon seeing that she had fully fallen asleep. As he put her down in her blankets, Durbe walked in, a small smile on his face.

“She’s ok?” The knight asked softly, closing the tent behind him.

Nasch gave a small grunt with a nod of his head as he tucked Iris in, wondering how long the other had been out there. Had he heard him sing?

“You never told me you could sing.”

Figures. _‘You never told me you could, either.’_ Nasch wanted to say, but that would mean admitting to his own singing. "I don’t.“ Nasch muttered, gently getting up from his spot, not wanting to wake Iris again.

"It was a rather nice song.” Durbe added, trying to get the other to admit to what he did. “I’m sure Iris liked it too.”

Nasch stopped at that, a slight tint of color rising to his cheeks. He shook his head and sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He then made his way out of the tent, knocking his palm against the side of Durbe’s head as he did. “You’re exhausted and hearing things. Get some rest.”

Durbe couldn’t surpress the surprised sound that came from him, not expecting Nasch to hit him upside the head. It wasn’t hard, just unexpected. He glared slightly at the other, not in a threatening way, before looking over Iris once more, the frown leaving his face upon seeing her sleep relaxedly. Durbe then left the tent as well, seeing Nasch still outside, looking up at the stars.

The knight moved to stand next to his friend, a moment of silence between them before Durbe smirked. “You’re never going to change, are you?”

Nasch blinked at that, looking from the stars to Durbe. “What do you mean by that?”

Durbe just shrugged, heading over his own tent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nasch frowned at the other male, looking absolutely unamused. Was Durbe really– “You’re exhausted and hearing things." He was. How dare he. "It would be wise for you to try and get some rest.” Nasch couldn’t help the smile on his face though, shaking his head as he walked to his own tent, to rest for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> The song used in the story is a real song, by Eric Whitacre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxTghSZupv8


End file.
